egoreise
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2013
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Billings, MT
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Hey everyone! My name is Courtney. I'm 28, I live in Montana. I have a three year old jack russell terrier named Dio. He is my life. He changed everything.
I have been on a path of healing and change for the last year or so. And with that has come a resurgence of my love for art, and the desire to make art. It's kind of a thing in my family. My mother and sister are professional artists, my father is a performing cowboy poet, my brother is an outstanding writer. And so on.
My thing, of course, is photography. I bought my first camera, a Canon SLR in 2003. Don't ask me to remember the exact model. I thought it was the greatest thing ever, though I never really used it to its full potential. It stopped working about three years ago, and I was heartbroken and in no financial position to replace it. So photography went onto the back burner. And I continued to shoot with my phone. And of course, over the years, technology has advanced so rapidly and I now carry a phone that takes photos that easily rival everything I ever took on my SLR. Sigh.
Then in the past year or so, I've really gotten to thinking about getting back into photography. Maybe a little more seriously. And I started talking about saving up money to buy a shiny new Canon. And pretending to save money. And mostly just, well, not actually saving money. It was an unproductive year.
But then something big happened. Huge. Scary huge for me. I'm losing my job. I've been a nanny for the same family for eight and a half years. They really don't want to let me go, but they are facing some changes. So I am facing changes, as well. I decided that now is the time to just take the plunge. I want to be a photographer. It's time. I did as much research as I could and formulated a plan. I have a few months left at work, and I am taking a risk by investing every extra penny I earn in the photography equipment I need. I spend hours per night studying video tutorials and ebooks on photography, photoshop, and business. And beginning in the spring, I will be taking an entrepreneurship course through the Montana Arts Council. In the process of taking the course, I will be attending workshops, building a portfolio, obtaining a business license, accumulating an inventory of sellable material, and participating in art shows. I am especially excited about that, even though I know that once I actually get this going, portraits will likely be the meat and potatoes of my income.
I realize that I'm not going to walk away from my current job immediately ready to be a full time photographer. I have a lot to learn. And I have to establish myself. And I have so much equipment I need to invest in, and so much business know-how that I need to learn. I'm going to have to work a day job while I build all this up, possibly for a couple years? But I've got a really good start. I've got some skill. I've got an artistic eye. I've got the dedication to the studying. And, I'm now getting my new camera. My bosses learned about my plan and decided to put down a large chunk of money for me to get my camera, as a going away gift. I ordered a Canon 7D and a lot of accessories that I will upgrade as I can. My future is in a box, en route to my doorstep right now.
Deep breaths. I apologize, this is such a long introduction. It's kind of a big deal. It's a life changer. I'm eager and excited and terrified and uncertain. I came here tonight because I hope to find support, inspiration, constructive criticism, and advice. It sure is great to get on Facebook and post a photo and have everyone tell me it's really pretty. But I want a bit more. I want to know how to make it better. I want the reality check when I need it, rather than blind encouragement. And I do want to be able to go somewhere where I can talk to people who've done this before when I'm feeling overwhelmed and totally unsure of what I'm doing.
Soooooo that's about it for now. I look forward to getting to know some of you. Ask me anything you want, I'm an open book.
And here is my picture so you know who you are talking to.
I have been on a path of healing and change for the last year or so. And with that has come a resurgence of my love for art, and the desire to make art. It's kind of a thing in my family. My mother and sister are professional artists, my father is a performing cowboy poet, my brother is an outstanding writer. And so on.
My thing, of course, is photography. I bought my first camera, a Canon SLR in 2003. Don't ask me to remember the exact model. I thought it was the greatest thing ever, though I never really used it to its full potential. It stopped working about three years ago, and I was heartbroken and in no financial position to replace it. So photography went onto the back burner. And I continued to shoot with my phone. And of course, over the years, technology has advanced so rapidly and I now carry a phone that takes photos that easily rival everything I ever took on my SLR. Sigh.
Then in the past year or so, I've really gotten to thinking about getting back into photography. Maybe a little more seriously. And I started talking about saving up money to buy a shiny new Canon. And pretending to save money. And mostly just, well, not actually saving money. It was an unproductive year.
But then something big happened. Huge. Scary huge for me. I'm losing my job. I've been a nanny for the same family for eight and a half years. They really don't want to let me go, but they are facing some changes. So I am facing changes, as well. I decided that now is the time to just take the plunge. I want to be a photographer. It's time. I did as much research as I could and formulated a plan. I have a few months left at work, and I am taking a risk by investing every extra penny I earn in the photography equipment I need. I spend hours per night studying video tutorials and ebooks on photography, photoshop, and business. And beginning in the spring, I will be taking an entrepreneurship course through the Montana Arts Council. In the process of taking the course, I will be attending workshops, building a portfolio, obtaining a business license, accumulating an inventory of sellable material, and participating in art shows. I am especially excited about that, even though I know that once I actually get this going, portraits will likely be the meat and potatoes of my income.
I realize that I'm not going to walk away from my current job immediately ready to be a full time photographer. I have a lot to learn. And I have to establish myself. And I have so much equipment I need to invest in, and so much business know-how that I need to learn. I'm going to have to work a day job while I build all this up, possibly for a couple years? But I've got a really good start. I've got some skill. I've got an artistic eye. I've got the dedication to the studying. And, I'm now getting my new camera. My bosses learned about my plan and decided to put down a large chunk of money for me to get my camera, as a going away gift. I ordered a Canon 7D and a lot of accessories that I will upgrade as I can. My future is in a box, en route to my doorstep right now.
Deep breaths. I apologize, this is such a long introduction. It's kind of a big deal. It's a life changer. I'm eager and excited and terrified and uncertain. I came here tonight because I hope to find support, inspiration, constructive criticism, and advice. It sure is great to get on Facebook and post a photo and have everyone tell me it's really pretty. But I want a bit more. I want to know how to make it better. I want the reality check when I need it, rather than blind encouragement. And I do want to be able to go somewhere where I can talk to people who've done this before when I'm feeling overwhelmed and totally unsure of what I'm doing.
Soooooo that's about it for now. I look forward to getting to know some of you. Ask me anything you want, I'm an open book.
And here is my picture so you know who you are talking to.
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/39/39289-c5ea6a611707fdd5786347f4a67d63ae.jpg?1619738957)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/39/39292-4169a355b794ae9735845c4ad45d06ff.jpg?1619738958)
